The Best Last-Minute Gifts for Every Type of Girlfriend
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My strategy for gifting: Pay attention and be specific. With girlfriends this is a task of reading between the lines. Did she recently decide to join a cookbook club? Easy, another cookbook or cooking-adjacent accessory like a sheet pan. Does she go on about how much she loathes the “big light” in her office? Amazing, get her a nice-looking lamp. The key here is to customize things to her taste and listen for the little things. But I get that that can be easier said than done, so I’ve compiled gifts based on what girlfriends (yours included)couldlike, broken down into very specific things she might be into like pastry-making and French butter.
To make your search even easier, all the gifts on this list are available on Amazon (though we’ve included links to other retailers when a gift is available elsewhere, for those who like to shop around). We’ve also organized everything by price so you can find a great gift that won’t break the budget.
Updated on December 22, 2025
Our list of favorite gifts for girlfriends has been updated with the latest stock and availability. For more information about holiday-shipping times in general, check out ourbrand-by-brand breakdown.
Giftsunder$25
For the girlfriend on her fifth pair of AirPods
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Wired headphones are cool again —and, more important, easier to keep track of.
For the girlfriend who wants to be a baker
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This book from self-taught home baker Christina Wood, owner of Temples Bakery, is about the three pillars of pastry: brioche, puff pastry, and croissant. The book contains 30 sweet and savory recipes, including a crème-brûlée donut and gochujang babka.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
For the girlfriend who loves a beauty hack
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These heatless curlers make it easy to wake up to a good hair day.
For the girlfriend who keeps a stocked pantry
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This lemon curd is made from Sicilian lemons and would be great on toast or baked into a pie.
For the competitive girlfriend
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With her own deck she can decide whether the group is playing colors and numbers or no stacking.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
For the bath-taking girlfriend
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Chef Flynn McGarry says he only feels “half-asleep” if he doesn’t wind down with an epsom-salt bath. The magnesium salt contains lavender oil — a soothing, sleep-inducing combination.
For the girlfriend who loves TikTok Shop
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This glycolic acid serum from the Ordinary has gone viral for smoothing skin, particularly rough areas like heels.
For the girlfriend with roommates
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These noise-reducing headphones will help to filter any undesirable sounds.
For the girlfriend who likes a little treat
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Strategist writer Kitty Guo recently recommended these fruit snacks, which she says have zero artificial flavors and taste like mashed-up strawberries sent through a pasta extruder.
For the girlfriend who likes to keep a list
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A simple Moleskine gets the job done. We’ve been recommending these notebooks for years, but most recently, they were mentioned by Kristin Scott Thomas, who uses them to write everything down.
For the girlfriend who’s redecorating
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A book of color schemes from Sanzo Wada, an artist, teacher and kimono designer who had a massive impact on color theory.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
For the girlfriend who’s always losing her earrings
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An affordable but still nice pair of chunky hoops.
For the girlfriend who likes a no-screen activity
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Galison Frank Lloyd Wright “Saguaro Forms and Cactus Flowers” Gold-Foil 1,000-Piece Puzzle
A delightfully complex abstract puzzle that she can hang once it’s complete.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
Giftsunder$50
For the girlfriend who’s a French pharmacy fanatic
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A makeup-artist-kit staple, this nourishing moisturizer is well-tolerated by almost everyone and makes skin supple.
For the gym-rat girlfriend
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To get my sweaty, post-gym scalp clean, I love this Ouai clarifying shampoo, which throughly cleanses my hair. It’s also a favorite of beauty columnist and aesthetician Rio Viera-Newton, who says it helped her kick her dry-shampoo habit.
For the girlfriend who keeps hot sauce in her bag
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If she likes to zhuzh up every meal with a little heat, gift her this three-pack of Fly by Jing chili crisp sauces, which comes in three varieties: extra crunchy, sweet and spicy, and original.
For the girlfriend who likes to kiss
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A nonsticky lip mask that melts on contact. It’s a favorite of beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton, who says it a great overnight treatment. “Whenever I use this, I wake up with softer, smoother, and more moisturized lips,” she says.
For the well-hydrated girlfriend
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Owala FreeSip - 24 Oz.
The Strategist-favorite Owala (no fewer than 11 of us own one) doesn’t spill and comes in lots of colors.
[Editor’s note: Most colors arrive after Christmas.]
For the girlfriend who loves an “everything shower”
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A salt-based body scrub that gently exfoliates and softens skin.
For the girlfriend who started a new retinol
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This mineral sunscreen is a favorite of dermatologists, who like that it uses physical blockers and also moisturizes skin.
For the girlfriend who likes to curate a vibe
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If she’s already into Salt & Stone bodywash or hand cream, you can buy her the matching candle.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
Giftsunder$100
For the girlfriend who loves a Mary Poppins purse
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This zip-top Lands’ End tote has lots of pockets and will house all her odds and ends.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
For the girlfriend plotting on a Euro summer
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While she saves up for a week in Sicily, gift her a tomato candle that has notes of tomato leaf, basil, lavender, and mint.
For the girlfriend who has a signature scent
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This is the concentrated version of the popular body mist.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
For the homebody girlfriend
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UGG Whitecap Plush Throw Blanket
A plush throw blanket that comes in an array of shades.
For the girlfriend who loves a lazy Sunday morning
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Our favorite fluffybathrobethat, according to our fashion writer Ambar Pardilla, is a truebathrobe. “I go straight from wearing it tolotioning upwithout needing a towel to wipe away leftover water.”
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
For the girlfriend who needs her eight hours
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This padded silk sleep mask does a great job of blocking out light.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
For the girlfriend who likes an easy shoe
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The platonic ideal of both a clog and a slip-on.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
Giftsunder$200
For the girlfriend who doesn’t cook
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Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven With Grill
An air fryer is great for warming up all the takeout she orders.
For the girlfriend who cooks a lot
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Brightland Artist 4-Piece Infused Olive Oil Set
Brightland makes our favorite infused olive oils because they don’t taste artificial and have the right amount of flavor. This four-pack includes Noni’s Place founderNoreen Wasti’s favorite chili olive oil, which she says is “smoky and fiery” and “gives this nice hit in the back of your throat.”
For the Hyrox girlfriend
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This handheld Theragun is the perfect complement to heavy lift days and, according to Strategist writer Jeremy Rellosa, the triangular handle makes it easier to target hard-to-reach areas like the back.
For the girlfriend with a walking pad
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Whoop 5.0
The Whoop tracks sleep, steps, and stress. It’s a favorite of fertility doctor Dr. Brian Levine, who says he feels lost without it.
For the skin-care obsessive
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This nifty red-light wand helps with everything from hyperpigmentation to fine lines and will round out her skin-care routine.
For the girlfriend who has everything
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You can’t go wrong with a nice pair of sheets. This interior-designer-approvedsateen-cotton setfrom Brooklinen has a study, luxurious feel and holds up in the wash.
For the girlfriend who has been wearing the same pair of slippers since you met
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These UGG slippers are a longtime Strategist favorite and will keep her feet toasty. Their thick rubber sole provides a good amount of foot support, and they’re even sturdy enough to wear outside the house.
For the girlfriend who’s cutting down on screen time
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A sunrise alarm clock that can be programmed phone-free.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
For the girlfriend who reads in transit
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A lightweight Kindle so she can get throughThe Power Brokerwithout hurting her wrists.
Over$200
For the gamer girlfriend
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She’ll pass hours with the Nintendo Switch, which she can use handheld or hook up to the TV.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
For the amateur barista girlfriend
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Food folks love the Moccamaster, which makes an excellent cup of drip cofffee.
For the audiophile girlfriend
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This soundbar works well for music and film. Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen recently bought this soundbar for her apartment and says it’s a “game changer.”
[Editor’s note: The black soundbar arrives after Christmas, but the white one will arrive in time.]
For the matcha-obsessed girlfriend
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A matcha-making machine that singerJustine Skyesays makes her feel like an at-home barista.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
For the girlfriend who DIYs her blowouts
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A best-in-class blow-dryer that dries hair quickly and won’t fry her strands.
[Editor’s note: This will arrive after Christmas.]
For the girlfriend who lives near a subway
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I tested these out at a Best Buy and was impressed by how effective the noise canceling is (almost too quiet, honestly). I ended up buying the cheaper XM4s, which do a good job of silencing city sounds (I live right next to a train and under a flight path) but aren’t quite as silent as these.
[Editor’s note: This may arrive after Christmas.]
More Christmas Gift Ideas
- The Best Gifts for 2-Year-Olds
- The Best Gifts for 1-Year-Olds
- The Best Father’s Day Gifts for Outdoorsy Dads, According to Outdoorsy Dads
- The Best Gifts for Outdoorsy Dads, According to Outdoorsy Dads
The Strategistis designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the bestwomen’s jeans,rolling luggage,bed sheets,coffee makers, andbath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
